- Fran Drescher was ridiculed for recently declaring she and her gay ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson were drawn to each other because they both had extra-terrestrial encounters when they were younger. The never-to-be-relevant-again star insists it was a gag that was misunderstood.
- Halle Berry was urged by the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services to undergo counselling in order to be a better parent to the child she is currently battling her ex over.
- Demi Moore was rushed to the hospital after a 911 call was placed from her home saying she had “smoked something” and was “shaking,” “semi-conscious” and “burning up.” While some have speculated Moore abused the drug “spice,” others have suggested she inhaled nitrous oxide, laughing gas to those of us not starring in The Big Bang Theory.
The three starlets have found themselves back in the public eye for everything but their chosen vocation. And they’re not alone.
TMZ - every celebrity’s worst nightmare - recently released these pictures of Miley Cyrus, the former apple of the Walt Disney Company’s corporate eye. Be warned: they’re not for the puritanical among you…
She was throwing a 22nd birthday party for her Aussie boyfriend in downtown LA… including a giant, penis shaped cake. Right now you’re asking yourself, “But Hook, what kind of loser allows his girlfriend to give him a giant chocolate penis cake at his very-public birthday party? That would be Liam “I swear I’m straight” Hemsworth.
I really struggled with myself over this one; “Do I release the unedited pics or not?” But since I’ve been an advocate of a cleaner media machine, I elected to take the high road.
It’s a shame Hannah Montana can’t say the same.
Don’t these people have agents to drum up projects for them? Or a team of handlers to keep them out of trouble? Or even money managers to invest their earnings so they have something to tide them over when it all comes crashing down?
of course, I originally wrote this post before the biggest celebrity train wreck in recent memory – Sheen and the Kardashians can’t even touch this one – Whitney Houston’s tragic fall from grace.
Image via Wikipedia
It was a slow burn, one that ended with what most are calling an inevitable end; the discovery of her lifeless body in a hotel bathtub.
Four floors below, at a party held in her honor, a horde of clueless morons partied on like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
But something certainly had. To further prove my point, look to Houston’s record sales since her untimely demise.
Nielsen SoundScan has released sales data for Houston’s music for the week ending Feb. 12; consumers purchased 101,000 copies of her albums, presumably since the announcement of her death Saturday afternoon. That’s quite the difference from the week ending Feb. 5, when 1,700 Whitney Houston albums were sold. Many more digital albums — 91,000 — were purchased than physical albums, which moved 10,000 units. (In the previous week, Houston sold 1,000 physical albums versus 500 digital albums.)
The biggest-selling album of the week was the 2000 compilation “Whitney: Greatest Hits,” which sold 64,000 units in the week ending Feb. 12, versus a mere 600 (!) the previous week.
Just think about that for a minute. Houston was declared dead Saturday afternoon; that means the majority of these sales took place between that evening and Sunday at midnight. An artist dies and people respond by purchasing their music? Did these people suddenly remember how talented Whitney was and how much they loved her work? She could have faked her death for a day and made a small fortune!
Whitney’s classic rock ‘n roll demise has drawn out dozens of washed-up celebrities from every corner of Hollywood; each of them fully aware of the demand for interviews with anyone connected to the fallen diva.
I’d like to close with a witty punchline, but I just realized this post has just drawn even more attention to a group of people who truly don’t deserve it. Even Whitney should just be left in peace.
Some people will do anything to keep other people talking about them. I seriously don’t understand the fascination with celebrities. I could care less what a bunch of people I’ve never met are doing, plan to do, or have done.
Unfortunately, not everyone is as smart as you!
That truly is unfortunate.
It seems when one of the used to be greats dies, their art/music (whatever the case might be) does tend to flourish with increased sales. I’ll never understand the reasoning behind that. My heart goes out to Whitney’s daughter, and even to Whitney herself. It must be extremely difficult to fall off a pedestal, even if you did rightly earn your position, which I think Whitney did. She had a true gift. Sadly sometimes a gift such as her comes with a price, and Whitney paid that price, as will her daughter by losing her lovely mother. I’ve seen so many posts downgrading Whitney and others like her,calling them worthless drunks, druggies, whatever. It is sad that people judge others that they don’t even know. I also think the bigger the star, the harder the fall, and the harder it is to fit into a ‘normal’ life. I hope Whitney finds the peace she could no longer find in this life. Ditto for Micheal Jackson and all of the other greats that died young. I don’t think any of us ‘normal’ people will ever really understand their demons. The little young up and comers that have the world in their fingertips because they are ‘stars’ should take a lesson from some of their piers. Thank God I am not famous, although I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind being rich.
Good post Hook. Keep ‘um coming.
>It must be extremely difficult to fall off a pedestal, even if you did rightly earn your position, which I think Whitney did.
- I cannot even *imagine* what that must have been like for the poor girl.
>Thank God I am not famous,
- Ditto.
>although I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind being rich.
- Oh yeah. Ditto this, too, Marcy!
Kate
P.S.: Hook, today it’s your site’s turn to frustrate commenters attempting to pipe in. I failed earlier. Seeing the uncharacteristically low number of comments until now makes me realise I wasn’t the sole thwarted one. Fingers crossed for this to go through now.
I wish you were rich, too!
Why thank you. Want to buy a book? LOL.
All these stories are really so sad. These are very troubled people for sure. I feel sorry for Miley’s parents who have no control over her now and should have had more control over her when they had the chance, which they now realize. Whitney Houston is a tragedy for herself and her child. And yet people still hold these folks as role models and want to be just like them. So sad.
It is sad, right?
This may be TMI, but there is a photo of me in front of a phallic cake made by a naughty bakery back in Madison. It was taken at my bachelorette party! Where is that photo????????????
Hahaha!
Very funny, Susie!
I do agree with you. Sometimes it is just better to just walk away. But… you have made a good point about artist who die and then suddenly the value of their work increases. I’ll never understand why this happens.
That makes a few of us…
I understand Whitney’s realtor is trying to use her death as reason to buy the singer’s house…sick.
Some people are vultures…
I don’t understand why people buy either – I think real fans already have her music and don’t participate in those sudden need to buy buy buy. But whatever, let them buy, I hope the money goes to the kid! At least she left something worth buying behind:)
>I think real fans already have her music and don’t participate in those sudden need to buy buy buy.
- Agree.
Kate
>I think real fans already have her music and don’t participate in those sudden need to buy buy buy.
- I agree, runitjojo.
What really makes me sad is when I see or read about people trying to right a wrong after the demise of a loved one.
Kate
Ya, they’re only making themselves feel better, I feel like those instances where the idiom, ‘better late than never’ does not apply!
Well said, young lady!
I hope her kid is taken care of and provided for emotionally as well.
>While some have speculated Moore abused the drug “spice,” others have suggested she inhaled nitrous oxide, laughing gas to those of us not starring in The Big Bang Theory.
- Oh, Sheldon. Sigh. Ssiigghh. SIGH. SSIIGGHH.
The rest of your post made no sense to me. Sheldon. Sigh. (Repeat insanity.)
Kate
its sad that after the death of any artist,we recognize his/her work truly…. but it happens…. there is always a question mark….
Always…
>Be warned: they’re not for the puritanical among you…
- Me! Me! Me!
Whoops! LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! Oh no! That doesn’t work the same way with visuals.
That was a completely justified warning, Hook. Got me all shook up. So young. Why, Miley?
>Ain’t about how fast I get there
>Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other side
>It’s the climb.
- Climb? More like slide to the bottom, Hannah.
>While some have speculated Moore abused the drug “spice,” others have suggested she inhaled nitrous oxide, laughing gas to those of us not starring in The Big Bang Theory.
- Sheldon. Sigh. Ssiigghh. SIGH. SSIIGGHH. Oh, Sheldon. (Repeat hopeless crush chant.)
Kate
As usual, you crack me up, Kate!
Did Miley want the cake all to herself? Her dad’s heart must feel achy breaky.
Cool comment! Not exactly original, but awesome nonetheless!
The worst part about the Demi Moore scandal? Her drug of choice. Seriously, she is mega-rich…she can afford a better drug habit (i.e. one that isn’t practiced by high schoolers with no real income).
As for Whitney’s record sales, the same exact thing happened when Michael Jackson died, so I can’t say I’m shocked. But you have some excellent observations. What does it mean about society that buying her records is how we respond to her death? (Other than filling the pockets of record company execs, of course!)
Great post, as usual!
Glad to hear I have a few valid points!
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